EdNet October 2012
EdNet, the National Food Safety Educator’s Network, is a monthly,multi-agency electronic news journal from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS), and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).EdNet provides up-to-date information about food safety and nutrition programs and activities for educators, consumer advocates, government officials, and industry representatives.
If you have questions or comments about this issue of EdNet, send e-mail to the Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (FDA).
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In this issue:
Advisories, Alerts, and Warnings
- FDA Investigates Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney Infections Linked to Peanut Butter made by Sunland Inc.
- Voluntary Recall of Select Packages of Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite Size Original and Mini-Wheats Unfrosted Bite Size
Resources for Educators
- FDA: Preventing Foodborne Illness During Fall Events
- Blog: by Michael Taylor, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods on Strengthening Science at FDA to Improve Food Safety
- FDA’s CFSAN Education Resource Library
- New Online Tool Makes it Easier for Consumers to Report Food Safety Concerns (FSIS)
- Spanish-Language Virtual Expert Answers Food Safety Questions on Your Smartphone (FSIS)
- USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline Open on Thanksgiving Day
- New Podcasts (FSIS)
- Agricultural Research Magazine, October 2012 - Vol. 60, No. 9
Meetings, Conferences, and Workshops
Industry
- Dietary supplements, Unapproved Drugs Seized in New York
- Food Facility Registration Requirements under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act
- FDA: Necessity of the Use of Food Categories in Food Facility Registrations and Updates to Food Categories
- FSIS Laboratories to Analyze Larger Test Portions for Listeria Monocytogenes
- FSIS Policy Updates
Advisories, Alerts, and Warnings
FDA Investigates Multistate Outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney Infections Linked to Peanut Butter made by Sunland Inc.
The FDA, along with CDC and state and local official, is investigating a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney infections linked to peanut butter made by Sunland Inc. of Portales, NM. The agencies are moving quickly to learn as much as possible and prevent additional people from becoming ill. We recognize that people will be concerned about this outbreak, and we will continue to provide updates and advice.
For more detailed information, updates, and advice about the investigation of a multi-state outbreak ofSalmonella Bredeney infections, go to:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/CORENetwork/ucm320413.htm
Updates and Press Announcements regarding the outbreak of Salmonella Bredeney infections can also be found at:
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm320576.htm
Voluntary Recall of Select Packages of Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite Size Original and Mini-Wheats Unfrosted Bite Size
On October 8, 2012, a voluntary recall was initiated due to the possible presence of fragments of flexible metal mesh from a faulty manufacturing part. Recalled products include only Frosted Mini-Wheats Bite Size Original and Mini-Wheats Unfrosted Bite Size with the letters KB, AP or FK before or after the Best If Used Before date. Consumers with affected product or who have questions should contact the company by using the Contact Us feature on Kelloggs.com or call 800-962-1413 from 8 am to 6 pm Eastern Time, Monday - Friday.
For information on how to identify recalled products by UPC numbers and Better if Used Before Dates, go to:
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm323202.htm
Resources for Educators
FDA: Preventing Foodborne Illness During Fall Events
The FDA offers a year-round food safety guide to help keep yourself and your guests safe while entertaining. Welcome to Fall - the season to celebrate harvest, Halloween, Thanksgiving, and your favorite fall sporting events! Make these events even more enjoyable - and safe - for you and your unborn baby. The key is to handle foods carefully while you're pregnant and beyond!
Read about preventing foodborne illness during fall events at:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/HealthEducators/ucm083736.htm
Blog: by Michael Taylor, FDA Deputy Commissioner for Foods on Strengthening Science at FDA to Improve Food Safety
Science is the foundation—the critical underpinning—of everything FDA does to protect public health, and food safety is no exception. Congress recognized this basic fact when it enacted the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), which is all about harnessing science to understand and prevent food safety hazards.
Read more at:
http://blogs.fda.gov/fdavoice/index.php/2012/10/strengthening-science-at-fda-to-improve-food-safety/
FDA’s CFSAN Education Resource Library
FDA’s Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition (CFSAN) Education Resource Library is a compilation of printable educational materials on topics related to food safety, nutrition (including labeling and dietary supplements) and cosmetics. These materials are intended for educators, teachers, dietitians and health professionals, as well as for general consumer education. Materials are available in PDF format for immediate download and may also be ordered in larger quantities using the CFSAN's Consumer Related Resources Order Form.
See the full spectrum of CFSAN’s information on various topics:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/ResourcesForYou/Consumers/ucm239035.htm and http://www.fda.gov/food
New Online Tool Makes it Easier for Consumers to Report Food Safety Concerns
On September 27, 2012, FSIS unveiled a new online Electronic Consumer Complaint Form where consumers can report problems with meat, poultry, and egg products. Consumers can use the form to report illnesses, allergic reactions, injuries, improper labeling and issues with foreign objects to the Consumer Complaint Monitoring System (CCMS).
Read this announcement:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/NR_092712_01/index.asp
Spanish-Language Virtual Expert Answers Food Safety Questions on Your Smartphone
FSIS’ Spanish-language food safety app is available to consumers around the clock on their mobile devices. Mobile Pregúntele a Karen is the Spanish-language version of Mobile Ask Karen, the virtual expert who answers smartphone users’ questions about safe handling, storing and preparation of food to prevent illness. The English version of Mobile Ask Karen was launched in May 2011. Both Mobile Pregúntele a Karen, which is optimized for iOS and Android devices, and the desktop-based Pregúntele a Karen are available 24 hours a day at m.PregunteleaKaren.gov.
Or visit:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/pregunteleakaren/
USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline Open on Thanksgiving Day
Cooks needing help with turkey preparation are just a phone call away from the USDA’s Meat and Poultry Hotline, 1-888-MPHOTLINE (1-888-674-6854). The Hotline operates Monday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. ET, and will operate on Thanksgiving Day from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. ET. Speak with a food safety specialist — in English or Spanish—or listen to recorded messages 24/7.
Consumers can also Ask Karen, FSIS’ virtual representative, food safety questions – in English or Spanish – 24 hours a day, at AskKaren.gov.
Live chat, normally available Monday through Friday, 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time, will not be available on Thanksgiving Day. Visit AskKaren at AskKaren.gov or for Spanish at PreguntaleKaren.gov.
To see a list of Seasonal Food Safety fact sheets, visit FSIS at:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Fact_Sheets/Seasonal_Food_Safety_Fact_Sheets/index.asp
Read more about the USDA Meat and Poultry Hotline at:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Food_Safety_Education/usda_meat_&_poultry_hotline/index.asp
New FSIS Podcasts
Tune in to podcasts and listen to food safety specialists provide consumers with advice and up to date information on how to prevent foodborne illness through the safe handling, preparation and storage of meat, poultry, and processed egg products. FSIS has released the following new podcasts:
- Microwaving Convenience Foods Safely – October 1
- Wattage Important to Safe Cooking – October 1
Spanish:
- Mystery of Meat and Poultry Labels – October 24
- Importancia de la Potencia del Horno de Microondas en la Preparación de Alimentos – October 1
- Cocción de Comidas Rápidas/Convenientes en el Horno de Microondas – October 1
Check out these podcasts:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news_&_events/Food_Safety_at_Home_Podcasts/ (English)
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/En_Espanol/Podcasts_SP/index.asp (Spanish)
Videos in American Sign Language:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/news_&_events/SignFSIS/index.asp
Visit FSIS’ Food Safety Channel on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/user/USDAFoodSafety
Agricultural Research Magazine, October 2012 - Vol. 60, No. 9
The October 2012 issue of the Agricultural Research Magazine from USDA's Agricultural Research Service is now available.
View online:
http://www.ars.usda.gov/is/AR/archive/oct12/
Meetings, Conferences, and Workshops
FSIS to Hold Webinars on Poultry Sanitary Dressing Procedures
The agency will be conducting two webinar training sessions on November 7 (state audiences) and November 8, 2012 (industry audiences), that focus on verification of poultry sanitary dressing. The course will also cover process control procedures by off-line inspection program personnel in poultry slaughter operations using a systems approach. In addition, there will be discussion as to how inspectors will verify poultry sanitary dressing and process control procedures as outlined in Directive 6410.3. Both webinars will be held at 11:00 a.m ET. Registration is not required for either webinar. To participate, go to www.connectmeeting.att.com (meeting number: 888-858-2144 and pass code: 3959167). Participants are asked to log in 10 minutes prior to the start of the webinar. For specific course questions, visit askFSIS at http://askfsis.custhelp.com/.
See Constituent Update:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/News_&_Events/Const_Update_101912/index.asp
See also Directive 6410.3:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/oppde/rdad/FSISDirectives/6410.3.pdf
Industry
Dietary supplements, Unapproved Drugs Seized in New York
At the request of the FDA, U.S. Marshals recently seized dietary supplements and unapproved drugs from Confidence, Inc., of Port Washington, N.Y. The products seized include Dr. Brain, pH Balance, Fe-Mon-9, Glucosamine Plus, and Prostate-7, all dietary supplements, and Full-Bloom, a drug. Confidence, Inc. claimed that these products could be used to treat or cure specific diseases or conditions, such as senile dementia, brain atrophy, atherosclerosis, kidney dysfunction, gangrene, depression, osteoarthritis, dysuria and several types of cancer (e.g., lung, cervix and prostate). To make a claim that a product prevents, treats, cures, or mitigates disease, companies generally must demonstrate to the FDA that the product is safe and effective for the particular claim.
To read this News Release, visit:
http://www.fda.gov/NewsEvents/Newsroom/PressAnnouncements/ucm325382.htm
Food Facility Registration Requirements under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act
On October 19, 2012, the FDA issued further information and guidance regarding registration requirements for domestic and foreign manufacturers, processors, packers or holders of food for human or animal consumption based on changes made by the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA) to the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FD&C Act). The updated food facility registration system became available at 12:01 a.m. Monday morning, October 22, 2012.
Read more of this Constituent Update at:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/NewsEvents/ConstituentUpdates/ucm324801.htm
More information related to Registration under the FDA Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA), including the Biennial Registration Renewal for Food Facilities, is available at:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/FoodSafety/FSMA/ucm314178.htm
FDA: Necessity of the Use of Food Categories in Food Facility Registrations and Updates to Food Categories
This guidance represents the FDA’s conclusion on the necessity of food product categories in food facility registrations submitted.
To view this guidance document in its entirety, go to:
http://www.fda.gov/Food/GuidanceComplianceRegulatoryInformation/GuidanceDocuments/ucm324778.htm
FSIS Laboratories to Analyze Larger Test Portions for Listeria monocytogenes
To align with international recommendations from the Codex Alimentarius Commission, ready-to-eat meat and poultry product sample portions analyzed by FSIS laboratories for Listeria monocytogenes will be increased for routine risk-based (RLm) and intensified verification testing (IVT) samples. The FSIS Microbiology Laboratory Guidebook's (MLG) method chapters and the associated method flowchart will be posted to the MLG with an implementation date no earlier than November 5.
To review the guidebook, visit
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Science/Microbiological_Lab_Guidebook/index.asp
To review the related September 24 Federal Register notice, Testing of Product Samples for Listeria monocytogenes, see Docket No. FSIS-2012-0032:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/OPPDE/rdad/FRPubs/2012-0032.htm
FSIS Policy Updates
FSIS issues Notices and Directives to protect public health. The following policy updates were recently issued:
- FSIS Notice 66-12: Actions to Take When an Establishment Substantially or Temporarily Alters its Salmonella Control Process
- Notice 65-12: Instructions for Carcass Selection for the National Residue Program Scheduled Samples
All Notices and Directives are available at:
http://www.fsis.usda.gov/Regulations_&_Policies/index.asp